Second Chances No Walking Away
by jtbwriter
Summary: When Oscar Goldman and Cecilia Simon disappear, the Simons and their friends fight the government and a rogue agent to save them from death.
1. Chapter 1

Second Chances: No Walking Away

When Oscar Goldman and Cecilia Simon disappear, the Simons and their friends

fight the government and a rogue agent to save them from death.

(Simon and Simon/The Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman all belong to Universal. I will return all characters in good condition except my original characters, which are mine and you can't have them!)

"Oscar, it's only the second time the President has ever made the trip himself to award this, are you sure you won't attend?"

Rick tried not to laugh as Oscar Goldman frowned at the voice over the speakerphone in A.J.'s home office.

"I'm certain, Mr. Secretary. I would be a first class hypocrite to accept the medal; after what he's done to the agency…."

Wincing at the angry tone the older man used, Rick was glad Oscar no longer worked for the OSI, he could freely speak his mind without fear of retribution from his former boss.

There was a sigh on the other end, then Rick could have sworn he saw the wheels turning.

"This was supposed to have been a surprise, but Colonel and Mrs. Austin and Rudy Wells are to be honored as well, they were personally requested by the President."

Now he couldn't help himself, and reaching over, Rick pushed the mute button, then laughed out loud at the resigned face Oscar made.

"Dad…I can't help it.."

"I know son, just wait until he's off." Oscar pushed the button again, then quietly said.

"All right, Mr. Secretary, I will attend, providing this is not to be used as a campaign commercial or endorsement of any kind. If we see one camera…"

"I promise, Oscar. I'll send you all the particulars, and of course you may bring a guest. I'm just sorry your daughter and son-in-law are not invited, but…there are only so many seats available…."

Too late Rick realized the government official didn't know he was in the room, and he nearly choked. Seeing Oscar furiously turning red, he mouthed "It's okay, Dad….calm down…"

"Oscar?" the Secretary was wondering at the silence, and Rick decided to cover for his father-in-law.

"Dad…oh, excuse me, I didn't see you were on the phone." He spoke up, then Oscar regained control over his temper and replied, "It's okay, son. I'll be off in a minute."

Standing up, Rick went and closed the door, then opened it to maintain the charade. Oscar smiled at him, then politely said, "I won't keep you, sir. I'll send the name of my guest with my response tomorrow."

"Fine, fine…Thank you for changing your mind, Oscar" the Secretary answered, then said goodbye.

As soon as the call was ended, Oscar swore and slammed down the receiver, then belatedly saw the understanding in Rick's eyes.

"Rick, thank you for doing that. For two cents I'd cancel out …..of all the nasty, hypocritical…"

"Dad, it's really okay. We're just proud you're being honored, and you know Steve and Jaime and Rudy wouldn't go through with it if you didn't want to." Rick hurriedly reassured him. Just then Laurie Simon entered the room, carrying some iced tea and snacks.

"Here, you two. I thought I heard angry voices in here; you're not ticking off the Secretary again, are you Dad?" she asked, a worried look in her eyes.

"No, no honey…just got my arm twisted a bit, that's all." Oscar explained wryly, then relaxed when Laurie put the tray down and hugged him, then dropped a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, Dad. I know what it cost to put up with him all those years. I'm just glad you're home to stay."

"Thank you, baby. I am too. Now you sit down and have a bite with this man of yours, I have a guest to invite." Oscar got a twinkle in his eyes as he embraced her, then stood up and snatching up a cookie, left A.J.'s office.

As the door closed behind him, Laurie let out a giggle then slid over into Rick's lap and kissed him. "I love hearing that you are "my man".

"None other, darlin'." He whispered, then returned her kiss. Releasing her only to breathe, he took a cookie off the tray and fed it to her, then followed with another kiss.

"Hmmm, what a treat!" Laurie managed, then took her turn at "sharing" until they were both full of crumbs and had an empty plate.

"Did you two even think someone else might want a snack?"

Surprised, husband and wife looked up to see the mischievous face of their friend, Rudy Wells.

"Don't worry, Rudy, there's a whole jar full, Robin dropped them off yesterday." Laurie giggled. At once the doctor helped himself to a handful, then dodged Rick's attempt to grab one more cookie. "I thought Rex was a cookie monster," Rudy laughed, then sat at the kitchen table as Linda brought in a pitcher of iced tea.

"Did Oscar get talked into going to the award dinner?" she asked, pouring the older man a glass, then sitting down.

"Yes, you should have seen his face though…" Rick snickered, then stopped as Oscar came into the room. "I heard that, son."

"Well?" Rudy held out the ice tea and poured a drink for his friend.

"Yes, pal, I'm going……seems it would be an insult, besides, they're going to honor Steve and Jaime too." Rick saw the smile in the older man's eyes, and realized he didn't mind attending the affair if his friends were going to be there too.

"Well, I guess I might as well pull out my suit too." Rudy replied cheerfully. "Maybe Cecilia would like to attend?"

Oscar cleared his throat, and to Rick's surprise turned red. "Well, …"

"Don't tell me, Dad…did you ask Mom to go with you?" Laurie piped up, a playful look on her face.

"Well, yes…..sorry, my friend." Oscar had the grace to look chagrined, then both he and Rudy burst out laughing.

"Well, great minds think alike." Linda added gleefully, and Rudy gave her a hug. "That's my girl, say, how would you like to be my date?"

"I'd love it…..A.J.'s going camping with Ricky's Explorer troop, so I'm free!" she replied, "Sis, would you and Rick stay over with Melly and Robin? Ricky's on his science trip until Sunday, so it's just the four of you."

"Sure, we'll have fun, and speaking of the fun bunch…." Laurie got up and crept over to the partially open kitchen door, then opened it quickly and yelled, "Gottcha!"

Two shrieks followed, then she returned to the others, her arms around two squealing children.

"Finders keepers!" she told them, then Rick tsked and took Robin from her, perching him on his knee. "What were you two doing, eavesdropping?"

"I wanted a cookie, and I heard Unca Rudy say Uncle Rick and Auntie ate them all!" Melly declared, sitting on Laurie's lap.

"And I was trying to stop her from interrupting, Mom, but the cookies did look good…." Robin admitted, grinning at his mother.

"Well…..if it's the cookies fault, maybe you shouldn't…..all right, just one." Linda gave in at the look of disappointment on both of her children's faces and handed them each a treat.

"All right, you little spies, go out and play with Buster." Rick told them, then gave in when Robin pleaded, "Uncle Rick, can you come out too?"

"Sure, just send A.J. out when he comes back from the store, Linny…not like I should have all the fun." He quipped, letting his nephew lead him out of the house.

As Rick played catch with the kids, Laurie helped Linda put things away as Oscar and Rudy made their reservations for the awards dinner. Hearing Oscar give her mother-in-law's name, Laurie smiled then caught her friend's eye.

"Penny for your thoughts, sis?"

"I was just thinking, oh, don't mind me." Laurie cleared her throat and put the remaining snacks away in the cookie jar.

"Were you wondering if Oscar and Mom were…well, might get serious?" Linda guessed, and Laurie nodded.

"I'd love it of course; they've both been alone so long, but ….I sure don't want to get my hopes up."

"Well, I think it would be great…..guess we'll just have to wait and see." Laurie replied, grinning.


	2. Chapter 2

"Ready to go, Cecelia?" Oscar stood at the door, his silver hair lit by the winter moon.

"Now, Dad, you need to have Mom in by a decent hour..okay?" Rick teased, as his mother pretended to be annoyed. "Rick….."

"Don't worry, son. Tell my daughter not to wait up." Oscar smirked, extending his arm as Cecilia took it, her red and silver dress sparkling in the entry light. Secretly Rick thought his mother looked elegant next to his father-in-law. From behind him A.J. took a couple of pictures, happy that the scout campout he was scheduled to be on was cancelled due to a late snowstorm.

"You heard the man, boys. See you later." She added, then smiled up at the big man. A.J. poked Rick from behind and the two brothers snickered and closed the front door.

"I've wanted to do that since I was 15." A.J. laughed, heading back to the game table. Rick followed, saying "You've been waiting, remember when that cheerleader wanted to neck on the steps? Mom kept turning the light on, then made an excuse that she was "hot". What a killjoy!"

"Guys…..did you want some popcorn?" Laurie appeared in the doorway, popping a kernel in her mouth teasingly.

"Uh, sure, do you want to play?" Rick grinned as his wife saundered into the room, holding a couple of beers in her hand.

"Only if you two promise to behave, no fighting." She giggled, then let Rick seat her at the Monopoly board.

As the evening passed, the three Simons emptied the snack bowls and groaned as Laurie built empires out of Boardwalk and Baltic Avenue.

"I just don't get it; I never land on the purple ones." A.J. moaned, handing over his last $100 bill. Laurie just smiled.

"That's because you shake the dice too much, you'd think you were playing Craps…whoops, Melly, what are you doing up?"

"I had a bad dream, Auntie….where's Grandma?" The littlest Simon asked, rubbing her eyes. Rick glanced at the clock, and grinned, "It's almost midnight, somebody's having a good time."

"She's out with Uncle Oscar, remember? Come here honey….you can sit up for a moment." Laurie reached out and lifted her niece onto her lap. At once she frowned, then touched Melly's forehead. "A.J., she's really warm."

"Let me see, come here, baby." At once Melly lifted her arms and A.J. picked her up, then winced at the touch of her hot skin.

"Poor Melly, you're a little warm, that's why you had a bad dream. Let me get you a drink of water and get you back to bed." He calmly told her, the worried look in his eyes belaying his words.

"Can I stay with you, I don't want to go back to bed." Melly whimpered, then subsided when Laurie said "Honey, why don't I come back to your room with you, and tell you a story, okay?"

The child shook her head. "I want daddy, he can scare the bad man away."

At once Rick got an eerie feeling as his brother cleared his throat. "What bad man, honey?"

"The man who took Granma away….I saw a man grab her arm, then hit Uncle Oscar and run away."

A.J. managed a smile. "Well, Mommy can help me scare the man away, right, Melly? And you can have some of Dr. Rudy's special medicine."

"Okay." Melly put her head down on his shoulder as he got up and gently carried her to her room.

As soon as the door closed, Rick looked at his wife, and noticed she seemed to be staring into space. "Darlin', what's up?"

Suddenly she put a hand to her forehead and winced. "Sorry, love, I have a bad feeling all of a sudden. I don't want to spoil their evening, but can you call Mom and Dad and see if they're on their way back?"

"Sure, Laurie…I think all you've got is a case of the "frights". Rick put a reassuring arm around her as he turned on his transmitter watch and pressed the send button.

"Dad, it's Rick, can you hear me?"

Static sounded, then a low chuckle made his stomach turn. "I'm afraid he's not available, Rick. Neither is your mother."

"Who is this?" Rick glanced at his wife, who frantically got up to find A.J..

"Don't worry, they'll be in good hands. I'll be in touch."

"Wait a minute…." Rick called out, then the red light went off.

"What happened?" A.J. rushed into the room, followed by Laurie.

"Someone's got Dad and Mom….we have to get a hold of Robbie and Ron….."

Minutes later the phone rang, and A.J. vaulted up to pick it up. "Ron?"

"I'm on my way….tell me what happened."

Filling him in on the meager details, Rick was suddenly interrupted by Laurie, who gasped, "What about Rudy and Linda?"

"What about us?"

The Simons turned around to see Rudy and Linda in the doorway, and A.J. immediately jumped up and embraced first his wife, then their friend.

"Thank God you're all right…..Rudy, Oscar and Mom are missing, and someone answered Oscar's transmitter then turned off the locator."

"No…. we just left them not an hour ago….he was going to take Cecilia out for a cup of coffee." Rudy protested, then Linda shook her head dazedly.

"No….this has to be a mistake….Oscar's so careful…he wouldn't let himself or Mom to be taken like this."

"Not if he had a chance." Laurie said through numb lips and Rick winced, remembering he had waived off her worries. A faint voice from the telephone reminded them Ron was still on the line, and A.J. sheepishly picked up the receiver. "Sorry, Ron. Rudy and Linda just came in, and they saw Oscar and Mom about an hour ago. They were on their way to get a cup of coffee."

"Everyone sit tight, I'll be there in 20 minutes. I'll start an APB on Oscar's car, and if I hear anything or …well, call me." The Chief of Detectives replied. When he hung up, Rick cleared his throat.

"I'm going to call Robbie and Rob….we're going to need all the help we can get." He told the others, then Laurie looked at Rudy.

"We're going to have to alert the Secretary….not that Dad is under their protection anymore, but just in case…"

"No…Missy, we'll have to hold up on that…." Rudy interrupted her, then her face went white with fear.

"They wouldn't, …God no…."

At once Rick knew what they were talking about, and he put his arm around his wife.

"Sweetheart, we won't let anyone hurt them, either the kidnappers, or the Government."


	3. Chapter 3

"What do you mean, not to let the Government know that Oscar's missing?" Ron demanded, as Rick and A.J. met him outside the Simon's condo 30 minutes later.

Having only been stopped by a false report of finding Oscar's Jeep, Ron stood flabbergasted by what the two brothers told him.

"I don't believe it….you think when the government finds out Oscar's a kidnap victim they'll hunt him down and kill him …and Cecilia?"

"That's the policy, according to Laurie and Rudy. Unfortunately, we don't know if this policy still holds now that he's retired." Rick explained wearily.

"I doubt if we treat this as a kidnapping and not as a terrorist plot that the Secretary and the OSI will take such measures, especially with a civilian involved." Ron replied reassuredly.

"I hope so…but just in case, can we retrace Oscar and Mom's path first? Then we have our own timeline." A.J. suggested. Gratefully Rick put a hand on his brother's shoulder, silently thanking him for the backup.

"That works, come on, guys. Did anyone call Steve and Jaime?" Ron asked, belatedly thinking of their friends.

"Yeah, they went to go check Oscar and Rudy's cabin just in case, you know, someone decided to hide Oscar and Mom there." Rick replied. Just then Rudy came outside with a small receiver, followed by Laurie and Linda.

"Guys, let's have you try this….it'll pick up Oscar's transmitter chip even when it's off."

"Good work, Rudy…where did you get this?" Rick asked, then he and the other were startled when the old doctor answered "I designed it. I've always feared what might happen when we were all off the OSI locator beam. I hope it works."

"I know it will, thanks for ….well, for thinking ahead." A.J. told him, then Rick gave him a hug, saying, "I'm leaving you in charge, Rudy. I don't want anyone trying anything."

"I'll take care of our family, son. Be careful." Rudy gave him a steady look, then Rick and A.J. hugged their wives.

"Be good, darlin'. Call if you get any notes or calls…." Rick said to Laurie, and she nodded as she gave him one more kiss.

"I will, love. I know you'll find something on Mom and Dad."

Climbing into Ron's cruiser, the 3 men took off down the street, as both women furtively wiped their eyes.

"Come on, girls. I need to take Melly's temperature, so why don't you make some coffee, I think we're going to have a long night." Rudy put an arm around both women and led them back into the house.

Several hours of tracing Oscar and Cecilia's trail from the awards dinner left Rick and A.J. frustrated and on the verge of yelling at each other and Ron. Finally realizing they were at an impasse, Ron stopped in the parking lot of the coffee shop where the couple was last seen.

"Look, guys…maybe we're going at this all wrong." The police chief said, as both brothers got out to sweep the parking area one more time.

"What do you mean?" A.J. replied, tiredly shading his eyes from the glare of the rising sun.

"What if someone took Oscar and Cecilia to protect them from someone, or something?" Ron asked, then Rick snapped his fingers.

"Why were Laurie and I not invited to the awards dinner, and why was it so important that Oscar attend?"

"Because…..the Secretary knew something was going to happen?" A.J. guessed, then Ron added angrily, "or…he planned his disappearance."

"Let me call Laurie….wait a minute…." Rick pulled out Rudy's device, and saw a steady red light on the map grid screen.

"It's showing us where Oscar's transmitter! Let's go!" Ron barked, then they piled back into the cruiser and took off. As Ron followed A.J's directions, Rick turned on his transmitter. "Laurie…can you hear me?"

"Rick…I hear you, did you find where Dad and Mom are?"

"No, not yet, but tell Rudy his device is working and we're following Oscar's signal now. Sweetheart, listen to me." Rick took a deep breath, seeing the four-lane road ahead narrowing then turning into an industrial road.

"I need to know, is there any reason the Secretary or the OSI might have planned Oscar and Mom's disappearance?"

The sharply indrawn breath told him immediately that his wife hadn't even thought of that. "No….Rick…do you think he did this-making sure Dad would attend even though they didn't do anything for Steve and Jaime?"

"You're kidding, I thought that's why they wanted Oscar to go?"

Laurie's upset voice was clear even to Ron and A.J.. "No! Rudy says they didn't even present him, just asked him to stand. He says Dad was not happy, only because Mom was there did he not confront the Secretary. Rick, I'm calling him right now….I have his number and I will find out who did this!"

"Darlin', no…calm down." Rick hurriedly tried to placate her, then A.J. brought him up short. "Look, there's Oscar's jeep, and …what's going on.. stop here, Ron!"

As the police cruiser pulled to the side of the road, Rick and A.J. barely waited for the police chief to stop before jumping out. Ahead of them was a small group of dark suited men surrounding the missing vehicle.

"Oscar! Mom!" A.J. called out as they ran, then one of the men turned around, and Rick saw it was the Secretary. His formal dinner jacket and tie were undone, and the look he gave the two Simons was one of shame.

"What the…sir, what happened?" Rick asked tightly as they reached him.

"I'm sorry Rick, A.J…..Oscar and your mother have been kidnapped….and it's my fault."

Caught aback by the abrupt statement, Rick paused, then asked again, "Sir, **what happened?"**


	4. Chapter 4

"Rick, we found Oscar's watch in his jeep….I'm sorry but your Mom and Oscar were nowhere in sight."

"Was there a note or something?" Rick asked, then paled when he replied, "Yes, but all it said was not to call the police, and that "we'll be in touch." The older man took a breath, then continued.

"You must understand, we believed that Oscar was in danger; we thought if we got him out of sight for 24 hours, we could foil his kidnapping and stop him from being sold …or worse, to the highest bidder."

"What do you mean, we? And why was our mother put in danger?" A.J. shouted, all pretense of respect for the man's office gone.

Now it was Rick who placed a restraining hand on his brother. "A.J., let him speak, then we'll demand his head."

Seeing that the Simons were serious, the Secretary looked them in the eye.

"The OSI had received word that Oscar Goldman was to be taken hostage and would be sold to the highest bidder unless we made a deal to free Craig Gregson. We…the cabinet and I, thought we would head whoever planned this off, by putting Oscar in protective custody then seizing the people behind this. I told Oscar about this at the dinner last night, and he was furious. He refused to go with my men, so we thought we had no choice. When Oscar and your mother stopped at a coffee shop, one of my men was to intercept them and force him to drive to OSI headquarters. We …I …didn't know…."

Rick suddenly realized what happened. "It was Gregson…it was him all along. You set him free…trying to catch the "kidnappers", but it was him who sent word about the plot. And you fell for it?"

The Secretary nodded, the shame again on his face. "My agent had radioed us they were on their way, then we heard shots. When we got here…." He stood aside, and the body of a young man, sandy hair covered with blood fell out of the passenger door of the jeep.

"And …our mom?" A.J. said, his voice struggling not to crack.

"She's alive, at least as far as we know. Oscar tried to convince her to leave at the coffee shop, but my agent…I'm sorry to say, was too cautious…and wouldn't let her go. We found her purse, and Oscar's jacket on the ground….with this."

Ron had stepped forward at this, then let out a swear word as the Secretary opened his hand to show Oscar's watch, streaked with blood. The crystal was cracked, and it was obvious it had been trodden under foot.

"Damn it… all right, we know Gregson has them, now what are you going to do. And don't say you're going to protect yourselves by finding them then bombing Gregson and Oscar and Mom!" Rick burst out, his patience gone.

"No…no that's not what we're going to do." The older man had a horrified look on his face, realizing that the others had heard of the former "standard" policy. "We have a lead that Gregson has taken over one of our secured bunkers in the area. We're just trying to eliminate which ones he wouldn't be able to get into."

"Well, fine. When you do, let us know. We're going to conduct our own hunt, but if anything happens to Oscar or our Mom….you'll wish Gregson was after you and not us!"

Rick warned quietly, then nodding at Ron, strode away as A.J. took another look around the jeep, then scooped something off the ground and followed. The Phoenix police chief looked at the Secretary, then made eye contact with the serious-faced agents surrounding him.

"Next time the Federal Government has wind of a kidnapping plot, try notifying the authorities, instead of playing cops and robbers." He warned angrily. "You can play God with your own people, but not with the citizens of this area."

The Secretary's eyes blazed with anger, then faded with embarrassment as Ron turned and walked away.

Seething, Rick and A.J. were already in the car, then as soon as Ron climbed in and started the motor, the younger Simon spoke up.

"Some hurry they were in to find them, look what I picked up in the dirt."

Rick saw him open his hand, then he almost shouted at the clump of red dirt covering an old key.

"That's red dust on that ….like from the area around Window Rock…"

"No, Rick. More like from the wind tunnels over by Tempe….there was an old test center from the cold war there in the hills, then they moved all the equipment over to the University. They say it was because it was too unstable from all the work NASA tested there. I bet that's where that's from, I'm sure Oscar and Cecilia are there." Ron told them.

"Well, we need to check in with Rudy and the girls, then round up Robbie and Rob and head over there, now!" A.J. declared, only to subside when Rick reluctantly said, "It's a big place, A.J.; we need to get a map of the bunkers and the roads in there. If we go in blind, there's no telling how long it'll take us to find them."

"Well, leave that to me, boys." Ron said with a slight grin. "I have a contact at the campus, I can get a map in an hour. I'll drop you at home to grab some supplies, then get Abby to help monitor things and sit on Laurie and Linda."

"Thanks, Ron. You sure know my girl." Rick managed a smile back.

As they sped toward A.J.'s home, Rick called on his transmitter and got a hold of Rudy, filling him in on what they found.

"That bastard! I can't believe they fell for Gregson's ploy….how stupid can they be?" he ranted.

"I know, Rudy, I know. But we have to stay calm….Gregson's capable of anything….and he's fixated with revenge." Rick explained. "That's why I want you to be so careful and not let the girls out of your sight."

"I won't, son. Linda's fixing breakfast right now, and Laurie…oh, okay…" there was a pause, then Rudy continued. "She just took a phone call on the other line…maybe it was the Secretary with some news."

"I'll bet….he probably wanted to see what we found, considering…" Rick spat, then a cold chill ran through him.

"Rudy….no one other then the kids and Steve and Jaime and Ron and Abby know we're at the condo…did she say who it was?"

"No….wait a minute.." the old doctor put the phone down and they could here Linda talking, then Rudy called Laurie's name. Frantically Rick called, "Rudy! What happened?"

An out-of-breath Rudy came back to the phone. "Rick, Laurie's not here..she left a note saying "Gregson called….will kill Mom and Dad unless I come outside and start walking towards the corner…I have my transmitters on….please call Rick and have him track me so they can find me and Mom and Dad. I love you all. Laurie."

"No….oh God no…why did she do it?" Rick yelled angrily. At once his brother put a mollifying hand on his arm. "Rick…she obviously felt she had no choice. Gregson would kill them if he thought it would bring Laurie to him. Rudy, can you go outside with the portable and let us know if you see her?"

"I'm going outside now….Wait!" he suddenly shouted, then Rudy's panting voice was heard. "I'm sorry, guys….just as I got halfway down the block, I saw her being stuffed into a car, then it screeched off. .Oh, no…."


	5. Chapter 5

There was silence again, then Rudy came back on the transmitter, sounding subdued.

"Rick, Gregson left behind Laurie's transmitter in the street…hopefully he doesn't find her pendant watch."

Cursing the killer who had taken his wife, Rick shook his head. "Okay, Rudy, you and Linda just sit tight. We're going to the old Vortex Wind Tunnels, we think that's where Gregson's holding Oscar and Mom. If we can center on Laurie's transmitter……"

As if in answer in their prayers, Rudy's tracking device picked up her pendant watch, then Rick turned his transmitter on, praying they could find her. There was nothing but silence.

As they sped toward Tempe, Ron called in a favor. 20 minutes later, the 3 men literally drove through a college parking lot, stopped at the guard gate and picked up an envelope, then got back on the road.

Just then A.J.'s transmitter beeped, and he switched it on to find Steve Austin calling them.

"Guys, I just talked to Rudy….Jaime and I are on our way to Tempe….we'll take the back way to the Vortex facility. I'll contact you when we get there., can you pick up anything from her, Rick?"

He shook his head. "No, I can't even sense her, we're too far away….wait a minute."

Rick's watch beeped, and switching it to receive, he heard his wife's whisper. "Rick?"

"Laurie…I'm here, sweetheart. Are you all right?"

"Yes, Rick..darling….please don't be mad….Gregson told me if I didn't come he'd kill Mom and Oscar then go after Rudy …..I thought…it's the only way to find them. He's got me in the trunk of his car….but… If anything happens…Please forgive me.."

Any anger Rick would have or could have had was instantly dissipated by her words.

"Darlin' it's all right, I can't get mad at my Valkrie…… Hold on for me…..we'll be there in a few minutes…I love you."

He heard a sniff, then her soft reply. "I love you too, Rick.."

Suddenly he heard the creaking of something being opened, then Gregson's voice.

"All right, Laurie, we're here. No trouble, and I'll let you stay with Oscar and your mother-in-law."

For the next few minutes, the only sound over the transmitter was footsteps, with the convicted killer coercing Laurie over rocky ground, then down a ladder or series of steps.

Just as Ron pulled into the private drive for the test base, Rick and A.J. heard Gregson stop, then remark sarcastically, "Sorry it's not the cavalry, Oscar….but at least I'll let you say your good byes in person."

"Gregson, you bastard.. what are you…Laurie!" Oscar's voice was shaky, but unmistakably relieved at the sight of his daughter. At once Laurie cried out, "Dad….oh Dad…Mom!"

The sound of weeping was heard as Cecilia gasped, "Honey…..what happened? How did you get here?"

Rick wiped his own eyes, relieved to hear his mother's voice. Before Laurie could answer her, Gregson cleared his throat.

"All right, I'll leave you three together ….for now. I have to go check with my buyer…seems he's going to get two for the price of one!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Oscar sounded furious, and instantly Rick and A.J. were silent, as Ron quietly told them, "I'm thinking we don't have time to wander around; I'm going to drive to the last entrance, then hide the car behind the trees."

"You're more valuable then you thought, Oscar. You see, even though you've been out of action for a couple of years, I've got a client who'll pay good money to get information out of you. He's going to be very happy to see I've taken out insurance on getting top dollar." Gregson gloated, then Rick heard a door clang, and silence.

Waiting a moment, Rick was about to signal his wife when she whispered, "Dad, I've still got my pendant on….Rick and A.J. and Ron are near by..we have to get out of here."

Oscar's relieved sigh could be heard loud and clear as he spoke quietly. "Thank God….Rick, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Dad…are you and Mom okay?" Rick held his breath as Oscar replied, "Yes, son…just cold and tired….where are we?"

"You're in the old Vortex Wind Tunnels….we're parking behind the caves. As soon as I

get a bead on your location, we'll be right there." Rick started, then stopped as Cecilia warned, "Honey, we're underground, I don't know how you're going to find us in this maze."

"I do, Mom." Laurie interrupted. "We came in a door near the guard shed, then down a corridor, then left down a wooden ladder and past an old elevator shaft. I think we're in a supply room."

"That's my girl." Rick smiled as Ron and A.J. collected flashlights and weapons and followed him out of the cruiser. "Is there anyway you can get out of there?"

"He's got us handcuffed, but…Mom…is there anyway you can reach under my jacket ..I've got my little knife…." Rick could almost hear the blush in her voice as Cecilia stopped her. "Yes, honey…Oscar, turn around."

"Just when I think our daughter's run out of tricks…" Oscar's tone was full of pride, and the clicking noise that followed let Rick and the others know that Laurie had managed to free her father and Cecilia.

"Here you go, Baby." One more set of clicks, then Oscar said "See if you can put that in the lock…"

"I can't see, Dad. Can you hold my pendant up, maybe use the light…"

As Laurie worked on the rusted lock, Ron led Rick and A.J. silently around the rear of the old test site, then found the guard shed Laurie had described. Testing the door, Ron used his own "pick", and managed to open it.

"You two go in…I'm going to radio for back up. Just in case Gregson comes back, I'll radio you guys." He told them.

As they slipped in, Ron put a hand on Rick's arm. "Be careful, Rick…This guy's deadly."

"You too." He nodded.

As the two brothers vanished inside, Ron propped the door ajar, then called into Phoenix PD and the OSI. He'd scarcely finished transmitting when he heard footsteps, and quickly closed the door and hid behind the guard shed.

Inside the cave, Rick and A.J. had already made their way down a corridor, then found the rickety wooden ladder Laurie described.

"Careful, A.J….some of these rungs are almost split." Rick warned, then made it down the ladder to the second level. Just then footsteps echoed near, and Rick stopped in mid-step, then "called" "Sweetheart?"

"Rick! We're here!" Hearing his wife's "voice", he quickened his pace and turned a dark corner, only to almost run into his mother.

"Rick!" she choked, and threw her arms around him. Giving her a quick hug, Rick passed her to A.J., then embraced Laurie and Oscar.

"Never been so glad to see you in my life, son." The older man chuckled, then fell silent as footsteps sounded nearby.

"Quick…get Cecilia and Laurie out of here!" Oscar ordered in a low voice. "I'll distract him."

"No you don't…" Rick retorted, as A.J. led his mother and Laurie into an alcove. Just as Oscar and Rick found a similar hiding place, a flashlight beam swept past them and Gregson came down the opposite corridor, then vanished.

"Now!" Rick hissed. A.J. took his mother's arm as Laurie followed and they started down the rocky passage. Almost immediately a yell came from Gregson, and Rick and Oscar ran for it.

"There's no escape, I'll bring down this cave on you unless you surrender, Oscar!" Gregson's voice echoed threateningly.

At once a loud "boom" went off, and the walls began to shake. Already at the wooden ladder, Rick was hard put to stay on it as it began to sway. He had barely gotten to the top when he felt it coming apart.

"Grab my hand, Rick!" A.J. yelled, and gratefully Rick let him pull him up. Below him Gregson was shouting again, then another explosion went off. Running down the passage, the others stopped to catch their breath, then the whole cave began to crumble.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hurry, Laurie, take Mom and **go!" **Rick yelled, then pushed the wheezing Oscar ahead of him as they ran down the corridor.

Behind him Rick could hear a roar of smoke and rocks as the walls of the cavern fell mere steps behind him. Suddenly there was fresh air in his face, then he saw the night sky through the open door ahead of him. Seeing his mother and wife make it through the opening, he nearly fell as Oscar stumbled and collapsed.

"Come on, Dad….." Rick hauled him up by his arm, then he saw A.J. turn around, then run back to him.

"A.J.! Help me with Dad!" he coughed. At once his brother picked his way amongst the debris littering the cavern floor, and put an arm around the older man.

"Right behind you …keep going…" Rick ordered, then heard the click of a gun behind him.

"No!" he shouted, then whirled around and dived at Gregson, who was aiming a gun at A.J. and Oscar's retreating figures.

Catching the former OSI agent around the legs, Rick drove him to the ground, then slugged him senseless. All at once another shower of rocks fell, and yanking the convicted killer up by the collar, Rick started toward the cave opening.

Outside, Laurie had helped Cecilia to a waiting Ron, who supported her to an ambulance standing by. A.J. soon joined her with a worn Oscar. Hugging both of her "parents", Laurie suddenly realized Rick hadn't come out yet, and pulled away.

"A.J., where's Rick…I thought he was behind you?"

Panic crossed the younger Simon's face as he turned and saw smoke bellowing out of the caverns.

"Rick!" He called out, then grabbed futilely at Laurie as she ran past him, screaming "Rick! Riiiiick!"

She was almost to the cave entrance when an explosion shook the ground, and billows of smoke erupted from the cavern. The concussion sent Laurie crashing to the ground, and for a few minutes the whole area was covered in dust and flying rock. can't see her…where is she?" A.J. called frantically, coughing and trying to peer through the smoke-filled air.

"I…cough, don't know, son." Rudy replied, wheezing, then a strong wind swept the area, and when the air cleared, the three men squinted in the direction of the caves.

"There she is…and there's Rick!" A.J. shouted.

Trying to catch his breath, Rick had managed to crawl into a gap in the cavern wall, then the blast of gas and rocks had caused him to take shelter in the narrow gap between the main caves. He had been forced to let go of Gregson when the rain of debris had started, now he involuntarily cringed as he watched the convicted traitor buried underneath the crumbled ceiling. Once the air had cleared, he staggered out of the new opening that had been created by the force of the blast, then heard Laurie's voice….."Rick….Rick.."

"Laurie?" he choked, searching for her, then he saw his wife staring up at him as she lay prone on the ground a few yards away.

"Rick!" At once she scrambled to her feet, then unsteadily ran into his arms.

"Darlin….sweet girl…." Rick clung to her, kissing and holding her tightly in his embrace.

"Rick, love…I knew I'd find you….." She cried joyfully, then covered his face with kisses.

"I love you….never ever going to let you go." He told her, his heart full of gratitude when he looked over her shoulder and saw his brother and Rob and Rudy running to them.

"Sweetheart, look who's here."

Laurie glanced up, then released one arm from Rick to encircle first A.J., then her friend and Rudy.

"Are you all right, Rick…let me see." Rudy started fussing over them, then insisted on both husband and wife being helped over to the waiting rescue truck. Too relieved to protest, Rick and Laurie submitted to being checked out, then having their cuts and bruises cleaned and bandaged.

"You two are going to be very sore for a couple of days….but I don't see why you can't go home tonight." Rudy told them, then held up a hand as Rick started to get up.

"Only if you two go right to bed….promise?"

"I promise, and if I have to go to bed…..I'll make sure Rick does too." Laurie giggled, earning a groan from Rob and an extra kiss and cuddle from her husband.

The humorous exchange was short-lived, as grim-faced agents carried the covered body of Craig Gregson past them.

"That monster…I'm glad he's dead."

Involuntarily Rick turned at the vitriol of his mother's words, then saw the fear still in her eyes as she sat on a gurney, her hand in Oscar's.

"It's okay, Mom….you did good." He tried to comfort her, then was shocked at the fury that erupted from her lips.

"No…I did not do good. Oscar, for the love of God, why did you try to get me to leave when that agent pulled his gun. I am not going to run off like the proverbial "little woman"…."

Her emotional statement startled both Rick and Laurie, then Oscar held up a hand.

"I'm not going to apologize, Cecilia, for wanting to keep you safe from harm. Too many times I told myself something like this would happen to anyone I loved….but I took a chance this time." He told her in a halting voice. "Now I see…I was right. My job, the life I've led, will always keep me from having a normal life. I accept that now. "

Before any of them could reply, Oscar turned and walked away.

"What the….wait a minute." Rick started to go after him, then his mother put a restraining hand on his arm. "Forget it, son. He's got a lot of nerve saying he loved me, then running like that. I'm worth the effort and the danger…so when he realizes that….I'll be here. Now I need you to take me home, Rick."

Seeing the stubborn look in her eyes, Rick put an arm around her. "Okay, Mom." He looked at Laurie, who sighed. "Remind me who's the adult and who's the child here?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Rick, I'm worried about Mom."

Looking up from the gun he was cleaning, Rick winced at the concern on A.J.'s face. "Little brother, that makes two of us, but what can we do? She told me to butt out when we tried to have them both to dinner last night."

A.J. shook his head in mock despair. "Laurie's right….they act like two spoiled kids. I guess Oscar shook her off too."

"Yeah, and she was pretty upset. She's not been sleeping well on top of that…I wonder if Gregson did or said something that we don't know about."

"Oh?" A.J. frowned. "Maybe this might be an opening….call up Oscar and see if he knows what that monster threatened her with. I'll do the same with Mom."

"I will, thanks. You know, you're pretty smart for a little brother." Rick teased, relieved at the seemingly simple idea. Dodging the attempt at a swat from A.J., Rick put his weapon away and locked the gun case.

"Go ahead and use the phone, I'm going to find my girl."

Leaving the ranch house, Rick walked past the barn, then the creek that ran in back of it and Steve and Jaime's house. He spotted Laurie's figure just as he went past the last of their friends homes. She was standing at the edge of their land…staring out to the horizon.

"Sweetheart…" Rick "called" to her..then Laurie turned and smiled at him.

"Rick…" she held out her arms and he ran to her, then picked her up and swung her around.

"I was missing my pretty girl….." he grinned, planting a kiss on her.

"And I was thinking of you…my funny valentine." She giggled up at his surprise, then discomfiture.

"Valentines…oh, no…darlin'." He began…then she put her finger across his lips.

"Rick…it's okay..Valentine's isn't until tomorrow. But you're my valentine every day…." She kissed him on his neck, "of the year."

"Naughty girl….be mine?" he asked, then dipped his mouth into hers again and again until she gasped "Yes!"

"Good." He smugly scooped his wife up into his arms, then carried her laughing back to their house. Once inside, he deposited her in her chair in the living room, then went to the kitchen and pulled two sodas from the fridge.

"Here's a sweet for my sweet." He said, returning to Laurie and handing her a drink.

"Thank you, love." She reached up her arms and wrapping them around his neck, pulled him down for a kiss. Rick took advantage of this and lifting her up, sat down in his own chair and placed her on his lap.

"Now that's more like it." He teased, then tensed as her face grew sad. Carefully she set her soda down as he asked, "What is it, Laurie?"

"I'm sorry, darling." She smiled ruefully at Rick. "It's …..well…it's Mom and Dad. I feel so bad, maybe Linda and I jinxed everything."

Rick was confused…."Angel, jinxed what?"

Laurie blushed. "Linda and I…we were both wishing…I kind of thought it would be nice…if Mom and Dad got together. But Gregson…he said such an awful thing to Dad…that Mom's blood would be on his head if he tried to escape or mess up "his" sale.

He laughed when he told me that..and when I called him evil.. he said, "Same thing applies to you, I'll set Mrs. Simon free if you cooperate, otherwise she's dead."

Rick was horrified. "Laurie…no. You and Linda were only thinking of Mom and Dad's being happy. Heck, A.J. and I were so bad when they took off last week…but I kept thinking that at least she had someone."

His wife was quiet for a moment, leaning her head against his shoulder. Gently Rick stroked her hair and he immediately felt her relax.

"Thank you, love. You're right, I shouldn't have let Gregson plant such thoughts in my head. He wanted to destroy any hope Dad and I had in escaping. But you came….you stopped him from hurting us." Laurie put her face against his.

"I'm never going to let anyone hurt my family….especially my sweet girl." Rick promised, caressing her face with his fingers. "I love you..and I know Dad and Mom will be okay…we just have to give them a little talking to. "

"Thank you, darling, I love you too. I think you and A.J. should talk to Mom, I'll try speaking with Dad." She sighed.

"Speak with me about what, honey?"

"Uh, hi Dad." Rick chuckled self-consciously, seeing Oscar standing in the kitchen. The older man gave him a wry look before coming into the room.

"Hi, yourself, son. I take it you two were too busy to hear me knock?"

Now it was Rick's turn to blush. "Well…."

"I guess so, Dad. Rick and I were talking about…what Gregson said…" Laurie stumbled over the words.

Oscar stopped teasing. "I'm sorry, baby. What that bastard told you ….you didn't put Cecilia in danger." He walked over and embraced Laurie.

"And neither did you, Dad." Rick spoke up. "Mom chose to be with you that night, just as she's been there for A.J. and I when we've been in bad situations."

Oscar was quiet for a minute, as Laurie added, tears in her eyes. "Just as I wanted to work for you and the OSI, you've never put me in any situation I didn't want to be in …."

"I know…." Oscar interrupted. "And Cecilia straightened me out on that. Believe me, I thought you and A.J. were hard-headed…."

At the look of surprise on Rick and Laurie's faces, he turned and called, "Cecelia…."

Rick started to chuckle as his mother came through the front door, then stopped in front of Oscar and kissed his cheek. "I take that "hard-headed" comment as a compliment, Oscar."

"Mom….you and Dad made up?" Laurie was beaming at them and Cecilia put an affectionate arm around her.

"Yes, honey. And I put Linda and A.J. on notice too. We're fine….you children didn't upset us by wanting us to be together. Just give us some room….that's all."

"Okay, I promise." Laurie replied happily, then nudged Rick. "Me too, although A.J. and I did want Dad to state his intentions…."

"Richard….." Cecilia groaned. Rick held up his hands jokingly. "Okay, Mom…I promise. No more interfering, unless you want us to…"

"Never mind…now if you'll excuse us…I'm taking your mother over to the Cultural Center, they're having a 50's dance." Oscar gave them a Cheshire Cat smile and offered his arm to Cecilia. Laughing, she took it and bid an affectionate goodbye as they went out the door.

"Well…." Rick pretended to huff. "The thanks we get for getting them together."

"It's all right, Rick…I know that things will be okay now. In the meantime, we can always…" Laurie sashayed to her husband's side and laid a kiss on his cheek, "celebrate Valentine's early."

A broad grin crossed Rick's face. "Early is better, I always say." At once he scooped Laurie up and carried her laughing to their room.

Outside the house, Oscar and Cecilia looked at each other and smiled. "I think we handled that pretty well." Oscar remarked, and Cecilia nodded happily.

"You certainly did. Now we'll have some privacy….what do you say to some dancing?"

"Thought you'd never ask." Oscar smirked as he put his jeep in gear and headed down the road. As they disappeared, a figure watched them go out of sight.

Grandmother Kasey gave a contented sigh. All was right again with her family.


End file.
